16.10.2010 19:45

Teamwork wins in Fonteta (69-78)

Sònia de Alba

Xavi Pascual’s side has beaten Power Electronics Valencia in Fonteta thanks to a great team performance. Navarro led the scoring with 22 points.

Regal Barça learned a tough lesson in Valencia last season, and were keen to avenge that last second defeat. But Power Electronics Valencia started this game strong, with Serhiy Lishchuk shining on the paint, and they had soon built up an early advantage.

It took FCB a good seven minutes to settle, although Juan Carlos Navarro managed to keep them in the game.

More intensity

The second period saw considerably more certainty among the Barça ranks. Perovic’s 2+1 made a huge difference, and fortunately the knock he took off a defender had no major repercussions. That made the score 28-27 before Lorbek pounced to put his side ahead – the way things would stay until the end.

The second half was barely under way before Barça’s lead was up to eight, although the game was anything but one at that stage.

Manolo Hussein’s was still creating plenty of pressure, and that was enough for them to claw things back to 48-50 by the end of the third period.

Lishchuk was unquestionably the man putting the power into Power. The centre and Catalan Rafa Martínez took the lion’s share of the points, although the latter was fouled out in the final period.

The home side also saw Claver eliminated for five fouls, and it was at that point that their morale collapsed. It was a walk in a park from then on for Regal Barça, with Navarro topping off 22 of his team’s 78 points.